Protector for beer can openers



April 21, 1942. y H. J. MAIHACK .2,280,336V

PROTECTQR FOR BEER CAN OPENERS Filed June 1e, 1959 l Patented Apr. 21,1942 l PROTECTOR FQR BEER CAN OPENERS Herman J. Maihack, Jersey City, N.J., assigner of fifty per cent to George H. Hutaff, Jr., Wilmington, N.C.

Application June' 16, 1939, Serial No. 279,554

(ol. :io- 16) 1 Claim.

This inventionv relates to protectors for beer can openers, and thelike, andy has for one of its objects the production of a. simple andeillcient means in the nature of a hood or cap which is adapted to becarried by a piercing can opener so as to overhang the pierced openingwithin the top of a can and prevent the spray of beer or other liquidoutwardly through the opening which is being cut in the top of the can.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andeflicient means for attaching the protector to the well-known type oipiercing opener. V.

Other objects and advantages of the present inventionfwill appearthroughout the following specification and" claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the can'vopener and protector endtherefor;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the can opener and protector inposition upon a can before opening;

ture cut by the piercing end I5 of the can opener A. rlhis hood I5 ispreferably of sufiicient size to extend well over and beyond theaperture I1 cut in the top I 8 of the can. This hood I5 is provided witha pair of rearwardly extending flanges I9 which are provided witharc-shaped slots 20 through which the journal pin II extends, the slots20 being' on a sufficient arc and being so formed as to permit a freesliding movement of the journal pin II within the slot 20.

The inner edges of the flanges '20 are notched as at 2I to t snugly overthe bead 22 of the can as shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure '7, there is shown a modified type of the invention whereinthe hood I5a is formed of rubber or other similar material within whichflanges I9a are embedded, which flanges are formed similarto the angesI9 and are connected to a sleeve I 0a through the medium'of a journalpin IIa similar to the structure previously described.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure lwith the opener in a position just before piercing the can;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the I opener in a cuttingposition;

the securing sleeve 'being shown in section: Figure 6 is a bottom planview of the protector sleeve, a portion of the can opener being shown;Figure 'I is a bottomplan view of a modified type of protector ABy'referring to the drawing it will be seen that A designates theconventional can opener of the penetrating pointed can-piercing type, ascovered by Patent #1,996,550.-

My improved protector which is used in conjunction with the can openerjust mentioned comprises a sleeve I0 which is slidably mounted upon theshank of the can opener A and this sleeve I0 carries at one end atransverse journal pin I I and a forwardly extending spring latchingtongue I2, which spring latching tongue is provided with a` dependinglip I3 for fitting into the aperture Il formed in the conventional `canopener A. This spring latching' tongue I2 by fitting within the apertureor slot Il will tend to hold the sleeve I0 in position and againstlongitudinal sliding movement on the canV opener A.

A protector hood I5 which may be of any suitable or desired shape, butpreferably of a'subventing spray from beer or other liquid contents tionbetween the hood and the opener. a sleeve In operation the can opener Ais fastened in a gripping position around the bead or rim 22 and thehood I5 will extend over in an overhanging position beyond the piercingend I6 and the notches 2| will be engaged by the bead 22 of the can. Thedevice will then take the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 and as thehandle of the can opener A. is moved upwardly the top I8 will be piercedto provide the opening I1 in the can and the hood I5 will lie snuglyover the opening I'I completely covering the opening and preof the canfrom spraying outwardly beyond the top of the can.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

In combination with a piercing can opener having an elongated handle, aprotector hood hingedly secured to the can opener near the piercing endthereof and adapted to overhang the piercing end of the can opener andto shield the opening cut in a can by the opener, said hood having apair of spaced flanges, a journal pin carried by the can opener andslidably en gaging the flanges for providing-a hinge connecslidablymounted upon said elongated handle,

stantial heart shape to fit snugly over the aper- I said sleeve`carrying said journal pin, and a spring tongue carried by the sleeveand adapted to engage the opener for holding the sleeve againstlongitudinal movement upon the opener in one direction.

- HERMAN J. MAIHACK.

